NIST 800-53 REV 5 • PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
PE-12 — Emergency Lighting
Employ and maintain automatic emergency lighting for the system that activates in the event of a power outage or disruption and that covers emergency exits and evacuation routes within the facility.
Supplemental Guidance
The provision of emergency lighting applies primarily to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Emergency lighting provisions for the system are described in the contingency plan for the organization. If emergency lighting for the system fails or cannot be provided, organizations consider alternate processing sites for power-related contingencies.
Practitioner Notes
Emergency lighting must activate automatically when power fails, illuminating emergency exits and evacuation routes so people can safely leave the facility.
Example 1: Install battery-backed emergency lighting fixtures above all exit doors and along evacuation routes. Test them monthly by pressing the test button on each fixture to verify the battery works. Replace batteries on the manufacturer's recommended schedule (typically every 3-5 years).
Example 2: Install illuminated EXIT signs at all exits, required by fire code. Maintain a testing log that records monthly push-to-test results and annual 90-minute duration tests for all emergency lighting. Fix any failures within 48 hours. Keep the testing log in your compliance files.